RICE SAYS INDIA CAN BE TRUSTED

US SECRETARY of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday defended the nuclear deal with India in the US Congress, saying it was "a strategic achievement" good for both countries, and a net gain for the global non-proliferation regime. Rice told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (many of whom were sceptical) that the initiative will neither lead to an arms race in South Asia nor complicate the US's policies towards countries like North Korea and Iran.

US SECRETARY of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday defended the nuclear deal with India in the US Congress, saying it was "a strategic achievement" good for both countries, and a net gain for the global non-proliferation regime.

Rice told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (many of whom were sceptical) that the initiative will neither lead to an arms race in South Asia nor complicate the US's policies towards countries like North Korea and Iran.

Rice was confronted by a barrage of questions from Senators of both parties, indicating the uphill task the deal faces on Capitol Hill. Some of the issues the members raised included: how prudent it will be to trust India; will it not be better to provide India a limited year-to-year waiver instead of changing the US law on nuclear trade to suit a country that has not signed the NPT; whether the deal will not inadvertently help India to expand its arsenal. Rice assured them that India can be trusted and dwelt on the major obligations India was willing to assume.